Review: Ian Blevins' first 12" for Lovefingers' ESP Institute label, released at the tail of 2015, was undoubtedly one of the most immediately striking missives from the US imprint in recent times. "Resume" is similarly ear-pleasing, with fluttering, near Balearic synthesizer flourishes, twinkling pianos and dreamy chords cuddling up to shuffling drum machine percussion and throbbing low-end. The producer goes deeper and denser on flipside cut "Poor Old Head", seemingly aiming to soundtrack the pain of a vicious hangover/comedown (delete as appropriate) via clicking rhythms, melancholic pads and the wooziest of melody lines. In some ways, it's rather weary, but also quietly beautiful.

Review: Woof! Lovefingers clearly has more music pencilled in for release on ESP Institute than he knows what to do with it! The latest 12" of a supremely busy 2016 sees the LA label seek out the refined house music sculpting talents of Frankfurt's Benedikt Frey, a producer who has been quite active himself over the past 12 months or so. Some three tracks deep, The Lobbyist offers a nice overview of Frey's talents as a producer with the title track a foray into stomping, unpredictable techno tension replete with some strange vocals reminiscent of Phil Daniels' turn in Blur track "Parklife". Fellow Frankfurtite TCB colludes on the heat-treated, murky house cut "Cupids Delight" whilst closer "Gravel" is a loose percussive number that eases down the intensity levels to 'factor: breeze'.

Review: Whereas certain trends and producers regress or digress at a moment's whim, ESP Institute remain steadily on their own unique stylistic path overseen by Andrew Lovefingers Hogge from his NYC base and propelled gently on the wave of critical acclaim afforded to the litany of diverse artists that release on the label. Following serene and sublime dancefloor emissions from Michael Ozone and Young Marco, ESP Institute invite you to bask in something even gentile with the self titled debut album from Land Of Lights. A collaborative project from ESP regular Johnny Nash and former Spectral Empire producer Kyle Martin that's been in gestation for some time, Land Of Lights comes with the advance warning that "if you don't have time to really listen, please do not buy this record. If your mind is not ready to unwind, please do not buy this record". "Flares" sets the tone that justifies this warning, laying down all manner of meditative textures before any discernable rhythmic force appears. While that opening track is undoubtedly the most expansive production from Nash and Martin, the subsequent five productions retain the sumptuous levels of production throughout and it'd be a truly angry man to reach the end of "Higher Love" in anything other than a blissful high.

Review: Four years after its original release, tracks from Land of Light's eponymous album get a new set of remixes. Fans of Lovefingers' ESP Institute label may recall the orginal remixes, released back in 2012, and this new set are just as essential. Kuniyuki Takahashi's take on the title track sets the tone, with sensuous ambient textures and gently warbling guitars creating an atmospheric mood. Tambien's version is just as esoteric, but slightly more understated, while Seahawks rounds off this latest remix package with his take on "Bell Rock Outpost". Juddery, slow-paced drums and warm, jazzy piano lines create another beautiful piece of music - tailor-made for those sunset moments.

Review: Between Unthank, Firecracker, Cocktail d'Amore Music, Mule Musiq, Permanent Vacation, and ESP Institute, it is safe to say that Lord Of The Isles is a much coveted artist. It would also be safe to say that he makes pretty damn good music that has landed on some pretty damn good labels. But, this is no surprise, each one of the man's releases is drenched in quality, and he has a knack for delivering spaced-out house music that sits at the very outer edges of disco. He returns with a new LP for ESP, a label that is constantly on our radar these days, and it feels like a match made in heaven; fifteen tracks of pure electronic freedom, whichever lens they're being filtered through, and from raw, disjointed boogie, through to kinetic ambient scores, or even segments of shimmering deep house, this is the stuff you need. A masterful and perfectly executed album.

Review: Damien Lynch has been busy of late, serving up a superb slab of electro-influenced experiments for Lunar Disko under the Diamond Dagger alias. Here he returns to ESP Institute under his given name, serving up the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut 12", The Heights. Opener "Brunette" is a deep and softly spun techno shuffler, with quietly spacey stabs, swooshing pads and stoned electric piano motifs enhancing the hypnotic, late night mood. "Forced Relax" is equally baked, but noticeably slower. It, too, sounds like a yearning, early morning transmission from some far-off planet, beamed down by a sleep-deprived astronaut pining for a comfy bed back on Earth.

Review: According to Lovefingers' typically eccentric sales notes, these two tracks from Man Power (AKA similarly quirky producer Geoff Kirkwood) will "put a wrench in your holiday". Kirkwood has been globetrotting a lot lately, and both cuts here sound like they were inspired by visits to hot, steamy countries. He kicks things off with the subtle positivity of "The Tourist", where swirling chords and tumbling synthesizer melodies ride a busy, bouncy, and pleasingly off-kilter, tribal drum groove. While excellent, it lacks the surging positivity, glistening Balearic touches and wonky analogue bottom-end of flipside "Oye", which sounds like an Adriatic anthem in waiting.

Review: Serial collaborator Mister Ho - co-founder of Klasse Recordings, fact fans - first joined forces with up-and-coming producer Heap earlier this year. Feeling Hopeful is the speedy follow-up to that record, and once again sees the duo in the loving arms of Lovefingers' ESP Institute label. The title track sets the tone, with duo layering twinkling organ motifs and undulating bass atop a chugging, mid-tempo house groove. As if to prove that they're capable of making more obviously cheery music, B-side "Gis Gis" is a spacey, analogue-rich affair, with a fizzing drum machine rhythm underpinning dreamy chords and vintage, late night melody lines.

Review: Lovefingers' penchant for including brief nuggets of information about his artists, and their tracks, on 12" labels is certainly useful for lazy record-buyers. Here, he offers up a first ESP Institute 12" from "ambassadors of the River Danube" Mister Ho and Heap, promising tracks that are neither, "too salty or too sweet". Opener "Collision Resistance" is a chugging, analogue-rich affair, with a simple, two-note bassline, arpeggio electronics and spooky textures driving the track forwards. "Veils of The Beloved" is altogether breezier and more melodious, and sees the duo make merry with dreamy pads, tuneful marimba motifs, and one hell of a loved-up breakdown.

Review: Given the hype surrounding his usually on-point releases, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Moscoman had been releasing music for longer than two years. It's not taken him long to get this debut album for ESP Institute together, and it's a pleasingly analogue-sounding affair. The eight eclectic tracks variously touch on sticky, tribal-influenced grooves ("Mexican Cola Bottle Baby", with its' wonderfully spacey melody lines), cold-wave ("Losing My Wedge"), tactile, nu-disco influenced tech-house ("Shot In The Light"), trippy electro ("Death At The Funeral"), and skewed house (the tumbling, ice cream van melodies and hypnotic drums of "Maltese Duck"). Throughout, the album remains stylish and quirkily atmospheric.

Review: Ahead of the release of his much anticipated debut album on ESP Institute, Moscoman delivers a top-notch teaser of what we can expect. Perhaps riffing off the Edwin Birdsong track that Daft Punk famously sampled, "Mexican Cola Bottle Baby" is undeniably atmospheric, with starry, whistling synth lines tumbling down over a dense, African-influenced, live-sounding tribal drum groove. Arguably even better are the accompanying Peaking Lights remixes. While the hazy, tactile instrumental is quietly impressive, we're much preferring the original remix, where trippy female vocals combine impressively with acid-influenced bass, undulating electronics, dreamy melodies and copious amounts of dub delay.

Review: Japanese newcomer Powder debuted in impressive fashion with the Spray 12" issued through Sling & Samo's Born Free label earlier this year consisting of diverse yet equally trippy dancefloor tools. We were not the only ones impressed, as Andrew Hogge has got his Lovefingers on some fresh Powder produce for the latest ESP Institute 12", the five track Highly. Again it's Powder's diversity and her knack for blending the functional with the trippy that really impresses here with opener "Lost Of Light" setting the tone. Glassy textures slip over the taut, minimal groove, with vocal effects drenched in all manner of delay - a most humid and intoxicating production. Tempos vary as the EP progresses, from the slow burning throb of "Manhole" to the cooing house delights of "Humid Wind", yet Powder's qualities remain undimmed throughout. The two briefer cuts that close out the record are quite delightful productions that seem perfectly tailored to opening and ending a mix.

Review: Lovefingers seems to be struggling a little with what to write on ESP Institute's distinct centre labels. For this Juan Ramos 12" - the producer's first for the New York based imprint - he's posed a question: "what colour Speedo should she wear this summer?" By the sounds of the fuzzy, broken beats, popping electronics, tribal percussion hits, drunken melodies and stretched out chords that mark out "Last Of The Natives", we'd suggest a rich shade of green. That said, if you also take the woozy, intense and cluttered - but nevertheless impressive - flipside "Enemy Of Enemy" is friend into consideration, dark brown might be a better option.

Review: ** Repress from the ESP dons ** Being knee deep in the relentlessly productive operations at Rush Hour HQ is evidently having a positive creative effect on Marco Sterk, who continues to impress under his Young Marco alias. Video Days is the second EP Young Marco has delivered for Lovefingers' ever excellent ESP Institute this year and arrives soon after a wonderful remix of Michael Ozone. An esoteric and organic approach to the rhythmic elements of both the sublime title track and it's accompanying production "Later Than U Think" are apparently immediate, though it's Sterk's ear for knowing when to introduce new melodic and textural elements that really demonstrates what a talented producer he is turning into.

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